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Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Long And Short Of It

Yesterday's post was a little long and wordy but I felt like there was a lot from that race I'll want to remember. Today's post will probably be shorter even though my run was much longer. Liz thinks it's funny that I can write so much about a 3 mile race and then write so little about a 15 mile run. But a lot more happened in the race than on my Long Run.

The positive trend continued today with my Long Run of 15+ miles. A lap around the Lake is just over 3 miles so I planned to do 5 laps and I alternated directions every lap to try and break up the monotony of such a long run.

It was still cooler than the past month or so has been and there was plenty of shade for most of the run so I felt pretty good. I also put a big cup of water in the driveway so I could have a drink every 3 miles. I kept a pace I was happy with throughout the run and felt good about staying fairly consistent.

There are always people out walking, fishing, or doing yard work when I run around the Lake. Tammy Deschler was out doing yard work during one of my runs a while back and she started counting my laps as I went by her house. Now she starts counting every time she sees me run. Today, she was out for a walk and every time I passed her, she was stopped to talk to somebody new but she still counted the first three laps for me.

Another guy I don't know was working in his yard the whole time. Finally, on my 5th lap, he stopped and leaned against his rake. When I came closer, he asked, "How long are you going to keep this up?" I promised this was my last lap and as I passed, he asked how far I was going. I told him over my shoulder it would be 15 miles by the time I was done and he yelled after me, "What!??? Holy Shit!"

It cracks me up how things like running bring people together. Here's this total stranger that asks me what I'm doing because it's so bizarre and ridiculous to him. He probably can't imagine running 15 miles. The funny thing is, we had that interaction because we're so different but the same thing happens with runners who know exactly what it's like to run like this... it works both ways. People connect because of familiarity and because of differences. Awesome!

This week's Long Run was reassuring after last week's struggle. Last week I ran slower than I'd like and cut the run a 1/2 mile short. This week I was happy with the pace and ran about a 1/2 mile long. It all balanced out nicely!

Notes: A little breakfast and sips of water every lap definitely helped today. Pace felt good for a Long Run. At mile 12, I felt like I could go forever. By mile 14.5, I realized the marathon is 11 miles longer than today's run and I still have work to do. Reassuring day overall though. And my last mile was my fastest without intentionally pushing the pace!

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About Me

I started running in 7th grade track and I was horrible. But I Loved it... I stuck with it... and now it has become a lifelong passion. I'm always looking for a new challenge and a new adventure. This is my record of the fun I have along the way.